Paul Kealy's play of the day at Thirsk

Rhythm Master

The hat-trick-seeking Cerulean Bay will be high on the list for many in this 7f Class 2 handicap, not least because he had three of his rivals behind him when completing his double over course and distance just under four weeks ago.

The three-year-old is on a career-high mark of 96 now, but he has earned it and clearly has more upside than the two who followed him home last time, Diamondonthehill and Persuasion.

That said, third-placed Persuasion won this last year and is arguably coming into this race in considerably better form than he did then.

He can go well, but so can Rhythm Master, who is on his third trainer now but shaped very well on his second outing for Geoff Harker when a close fourth to Burdett at Haydock a little under three weeks ago.

That was his best-ever run on good to firm ground, and it ought to have been better as Rowan Scott was seemingly travelling strongly in the clear but waited to ask him for an effort and had the door closed in front of him.

That cost him valuable time and when he did get going he didn't have enough time to get to the leaders as the pace had been steady and they were all finishing strongly.

Rhythm Master, placed in Group 1 company as a juvenile, is an infrequent winner but has dropped to a career-low mark and that latest run suggested he's going to take advantage of it soon enough.

He often ran in a visor for James Horton and this time gets his first go in headgear for Harker with first-time cheekpieces. The last time the trainer used those for the first time he had a winner at Beverley almost exactly a year ago.

The 11-year-old Documenting ran a cracker when third at Newbury last time and is in the mix as well, although he has been raised 1lb and no longer has the services of promising 5lb claimer Joe Leavy.